The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1887-10-09
Written for THE HERALB.
GOD In HISTORY.
BY GAsKELL.
ARTICLE V.

gregated forms of worship were brought
from abroad and domiciled in the eter-
nal city, vast increase and amalgama-
ton of deities grew up and found
resting place in her temples. Under the
all-embracing, liberal system OF Roman
conquest, people scarcely knew what to
reject and what to believe. Infidelity
was rifer and more, common then than
it is now, The educated classes were
almost all infd, Is, soothing and jeering
at the absurdities of their fanciful
mythologies; yet in obedience to the
laws, on stated occasions, paying out
ward respect and obedience thereto.
Their learned men ridlculed, and their
poets wrote satires upon their gods, and
sarcasm and sneers, clothed their
goddesses with indelioacy and lewdness.
Sneers and taants met the simple, earn
est seeking faith of the ignorant; and
the greatest of sins, the most blood
thirsty of crimes were Condoned by
oblations and offerings, not of repent
ance and reform, but OF laUdatory show
and popular applause. Their phil
oSophy had outg own what their lead
ers called the childish simplicity and
degrading saperstiti0ns of their fathers
They no longer thought their founder
Romulus. had BEEN arr ed off by the
immortal gods 10 ado To the number OF
their celestial hieraI CIV, but that he had
been assassinated and hidden. Numa
was no longer 10 them inspired by the
Il oF l.
he voice of their SYPHILIS was still
heard it was only that the bonds bind
ing down the masses of the peOpl,
might be strengthened to augment the
power of those in authority If dIvina
ton by the tii%hts of birds, by the en-
trails of beasts, etc., was still practiced
IL was rather to strengthen the fai of
the ignorant dOubter, and 10 invite hi
hearty CO. operation, rather than faith
liz the leaders as to foreknoWledge or
utility.
While thus astray upon the almost
limitless sea OF doubt and uncertainty.
new religion was born, anu was given
to the worlds new rsligion-a religion
new, at least. TO the Pagan world. l
was religion that appealed strongly 10
the thinking, reflective faculties of man
It's work was inward.y. as well as out
warGly, to be manilss't d-intfospective,
self searching, as well as outWardly
to guide the actions of men.
Purity existed not alone in deed. but
must ha displayed in word and thought.
Deeds wsIe TO be wrought not for hire,
but for love of truth ana right, and the
majesty Of God to be reverenced above
all the terrors of earthly rule and
tyranny.
HhriS,io r;t,. rroc 1doa6 n roI;o;o,, .bo.
appealed to the higher and purer ma
ture Of man-to his intellect. to his rea.
son. A religion unireighted with the
materialiSm and sensuality the bloody
sacrifices and the carnal nature of the
worshippers Of He'll and the Dragon. of
Baccbus, MolOCh and Venus, and th-
mum berleSS others not less faulty gods
and gold es Of the ancient wurld
But the triumph Of the gospel was 10,
immediate, for centuries it existed in
obscurity-jts first wJrshippeTs meet
ing in catscombs and caves and by
places, aside from the notire OF the IN
belIever. Gradually its modest shrlnes
arose side by sid with Pagan temple and
heather place of worship until at length
after more than four centuries of OBJ
security, persecution, and danger,
Christianity became the dominant re-
ligion. 1t was 8 victory, likewise, in
manner creditable TO both ruler and
subject, to the proselytes of the new re-
Ggion as we'll as the yotaries OF the
old. By his imperial edict of Milan, |
universal liberation and equal Sights
were proclaimed by the Great Constan-
tine-toleration such as the church III |
the plentitude OF her power, afterwards |
refused TO sanction. Powerful as the |
q
been too great stretch of authority and |
prerOgsliye 10 ha Outiawed |
Pagans. and have made Christianity the |
sole religion of the safe, and to have |
prosecuted them by edict as followers |
of Christ had formerly been persa cuted.
would have led to insurrection, if not |
to revolution and change of dynasty
may have been too
far seeing, and too good q Judge |
OF human nature and its require
ments 10 have sanctioned ey-
IRENE measures IN any case, mt
some di ior. this liberality of ule,
80 uni recedented in past times, may !
have prOce' ded from prudential mo
tives, more than from enlightenment OF
sentiment. or real Knowledge o. tie
benefits springing from
liberty OF conscience III matters per
IaluiDS " ESiISlOu. L CT Tue iSdC Oh e4-
citing instruction and arousing rebel
lion must have been strong in man
who himself owed his elevation 10 Inc
imperial purple, to the ambitious quar-
rels ard factions contentious of IN
CON pettoIs. The strength
OF the division of parties was pretty
equally divided and balanced as to
number, wealth and influence, and the
sud len uprising Of either would have
been angerous to the stability andcon-
inuance of the imperial power. in The
event of rivalry arising be-
;ween the many talented, Ambitions !
ais Of the warlike legiops ot Rome.
1t was as though the triumph the !
church of Christ over Psganism CAV
vitality and impetus to schIsm
gltain itself. Heresy and cchism had
more than once appeared vet the Church
militant bad suffered no diminution of F.!
,ower, nor of respect, nor counter
need any lack of obedience in tue
atty to all their orders. PriestIy Az
hority, as it increased anil
ew communities of worsbippers re
dded to the cause, tee m,
more and more centralized. In
he earlier ages of Christianity,
hufches of one city had no jurisdlc-